


stolen kisses

by LiterallyAViking



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), The Isle of the Lost Series - Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:46:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24515602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiterallyAViking/pseuds/LiterallyAViking
Summary: It had never been anything official on the Isle.
Relationships: Evie & Audrey Rose (Disney), Evie/Mal (Disney), Jay/Carlos de Vil, Past Ben/Mal - Relationship
Comments: 1
Kudos: 85





	stolen kisses

It had never been anything official on the Isle, their relationship. It was something they kept beneath the sheets, both metaphorically and literally. Kisses stolen beneath the new moon, safe in the depths of their hideaway, knowing looks that increased as the day crawled on, a hand brushing against a shoulder when the other seemed stressed over something. It was never anything they could say out loud, not even to themselves.

It was still something, though, and Evie held onto it like a lifeline. That secret was the only thing that kept her going sometimes, the promise of a hand to hold in the dead of night, the promise of Mal’s lips, rough and chapped, against her own, soft and painted. The thought that maybe, just maybe, she would be able to coax a smile from the girl she loved as they lay beneath a threadbare blanket, telling each other how their days went, spilling their worries out like waterfalls, illuminating the moment with their wishes and dreams.

Mal was technically a princess, Evie would argue to herself when her mother’s words got too much for her. The woman wanted her to find a prince, yes, but wasn’t any form of royalty more than enough? One day their parents would pass on, not even the cruel magic of the Isle able to keep them alive any longer, and Evie would inherit her mother’s castle and Mal hers. Matching hers and hers palaces that they could go back and forth from every week, unafraid to show their affection now that their wicked rulers were gone. They ruled their lives now.

But perhaps that was just wishful thinking, something more to keep Evie from falling apart. She would have to settle for painting her lips—knowing they would get smeared against Mal’s own later in the evening—and rouging her eyes—knowing she would forget to wipe it from her face before she drifted off to sleep, leaving her with raccoon circles that Mal would laugh at the next morning.

Then, of course, came the invite to Auradon. Try as she might Mal refused to meet her eyes as they stood before their parents, Carlos and Jay stiff as boards besides Evie. She could feel tears aching to be spilt, but kept them locked away, instead lacing her fingers with Jay’s and Carlos’. She could feel the two of them exchanging looks overtop her head, a silent conversation passing between the two of them. She acted as the middleman, delivering the squeeze of a hand from one boy to the other whenever they gave her one. She doubted they were for her, anyways.

Her mother had sat her down and criticized her looks before passing her the magic mirror that she had once ruled the land with. It was small, barely the size of Evie’s palm, and cold. It washed away the feeling of Jay’s warm hand in hers as if it had never been there. She glanced at the boy from the corner of her eye, saw him staring despondently at his father who was whispering something to him in Arabic, and turned back to her mother before he could catch her stare.

She refused to look at Mal in this moment, too scared that she would be ignored once again.

A honk that sounded like that of Cruella’s old beat up car—except less tinny and more full—broke the concentration of the villains and their children alike, all standing in unison. Her mother passed her a bag thick with clothes and makeup and potions that were sure to work once the magic of Auradon took hold and gave her a pointed look.

“Bring back a prince. Or you’ll be sorry the next time I see you.” Her voice was cold, dark enough to send shivers down the princess’ spine. She remained still, however, her composure never faltering even as goose nips wracked her arms. She nodded and moved to follow the others out of the building and towards the limo that was there to pick them up.

A part of her had hoped, dreamed even, that when they got to Auradon their relationship would flourish as Jay’s and Carlos’ did. The two boys held hands freely now, only slightly afraid to kiss each other in front of other people. She was sure that instinct would never go away. But Mal remained distant, their maybe-something thing staying on the downlow as if their mother’s were still breathing down their necks.

Mal would hold her in the dead of night, laughing beneath the quilt they covered themselves with as Evie spoke passionately about her classes or the new dress she had sketched out in the margins of her math test, but remain as they always were when the sun came up. Carlos would shoot her soft looks, questioning and inviting, but Evie ignored them every time.

Then came Ben and Mal’s master plan to get the wand for sure. Evie had been forced to help stir the dough that would take her true love away from her. In that moment she felt as if she could be the source of the tears of human sadness—the enzymes are different, she had told the others to keep from crying herself—but luckily Lonnie had come along, all weak and pathetic and more than willing to cry for something she couldn’t change even if she tried.

It’s your fault they’re like this, Evie thought bitterly as Mal snatched away the girl’s tear. You and your parents forced them there with only rot to keep them company. You think they would love us? You think they could ever know love? The world hates them almost as much as they hate us. We’re nothing more than pawns to them, remnants of a chess board that had shrunk to something as juvenile as checkers. It’s hard to take over the world when you can’t even see it.

Then came the song, that terrible song that shook the whole field, and though Evie had danced merrily along, she felt for Audrey, who she had seen run off the field as soon as Ben had spelled out a name different from her own. Her feet were moving before her mind could catch up with her, Mal shooting her a confused look, but Ben’s booming voice quickly drawing her attention away. She had a smile on her face. Something that looked like the ones they used to share with each other.

“Audrey?” Evie said softly as she stepped beneath the bleachers, the pounding of dancing feet almost deafening above her. “Audrey are you down here?”

“Why do you care?” A wet voice responded and Evie quickly made her way over to the source. The girl looked pathetic. Her ponytail, previously perfectly tied, a mess of stray hairs as if she had been tugging at it, her makeup running down her face as she attempted to suppress her sobs. “Came to gloat?”

“No, I—” Evie paused. Why had she come down here? She moved closer to the girl, settling a hand on her shoulder and squeezing comfortingly. She felt Audrey freeze beneath her before the girl fell into her, seeking comfort even in someone she despised. “I know how you feel?”

“I’m sure,” Audrey snarked back, but it lacked it’s usual malice. 

“It’s true.” Evie sighed as she moved to wrap her arms about the crying girl, a few tears of her own leaking from her eyes. “Mal is—was—never was, really—my Ben.”

“You and her?” Audrey trailed off, lifting her head to look Evie in the eyes. Her own were sparkling with curiosity, but that could be the tears.

“She and I.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Not for that. For being a bitch to you. You’ve never done anything to me and my first words to you were ‘Actually, not a princess.’”

“They were actually ‘The evil queen has no royal status here and neither do you.’” Evie laughed, the other taking only a moment before laughing along with her. They ignored the cheers from above. “And you’re forgiven. I’m sure you had your own stuff you were dealing with. And I’m sorry, too.”

“For what?” Audrey tilted her head in curiosity.

_For drugging your boyfriend into falling in love with my maybe-sorta-girlfriend._

“I don’t know,” Evie settled on instead, giving rise to a giggle from Audrey.

“Here, let’s go get ice cream and cry about our lonely souls together,” Audrey said simply, standing from where she and Evie had been kneeling and offering a hand to the other girl. “I have a huge stash in my room and no one to share it with anymore.”

Evie took her hand and allowed herself to be led away from Mal and Ben and the people still screaming their names.

Evie stopped sneaking beneath Mal’s covers at night, disallowing the girl from doing so as well. Whenever the other asked she always sourced the fact that the girl was dating someone now. Whenever Mal stated that it wasn’t real Evie’s mind would flash back to Audrey’s tear stricken face and remind herself just ‘how real’ it was for the two of them and send a small frown Mal’s way. She was never any the wiser, although Evie was sure a part of her knew just how much this was hurting her. But like all things that inconvenienced Mal she ignored it. Maybe that was for the better.

She grew closer with Audrey, spending hours in the girl’s one person suite with a sketchbook on hand as Audrey read over political tomes thicker than her head, or with an ice cream carton sat between the two girls as some cheesy movie played on the television screen before them. It was nice, being with her, and Evie finally felt as if she had a friend. Well, aside from Jay, Carlos, and Mal. Perhaps it was the feeling of having her first friend from Auradon that excited her.

Parents Day swept upon the girl faster than she knew it. Seeing her mother’s face seemed to wash away all the good feelings that had bloomed within her during her time in Auradon. She was back to the subservient daughter her mother had raised her to be, taking the shouts and the painful beauty regiments as if she back on the Isle once more. She could feel shivers running up and down her spine like shocks of electric current, tears pricking in the backs of her eyes but refusing to be shed.

[i]Princesses don’t cry, Genevieve. Don’t be such a baby. If you want to be a queen one day you’d better learn to act it.

When the television had finally been turned off, so wrapped up in her own head she was that she didn’t even see which of her friends had done it, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. A hand settled on her shoulder. Mal’s. Her skin could recognize that shape anywhere.

“Are you okay, E?” She asked softly, Jay and Carlos talking quietly among themselves only a few feet away. Evie took a shaky breath, holding it for a few long seconds before letting it out once more. 

“I’m fine, M,” she responded at long last, shooting the girl a smile that she was sure she could see through. “Just a little shaken.”

“Okay,” Mal seemed to be unconvinced by the girl’s words. Her face cleared up soon enough, however, smoothing over into a crooked grin. Evie could feel her heart skip a beat at that look. “Let’s get out there. I get to meet the king and queen and try not to embarrass myself.”

The soaring of her heart plummeted, her smile becoming more strained as she nodded her consent. Together the four of them made their way out to the field. Already students and their royal parents were milling about the grounds. A small orchestra ensemble was playing a smooth tune, filling the air with ambiance.

“Hey, guys,” Ben’s voice cut through Evie’s observations. “Can I steal Mal for a little bit.”

“Be our guest,” Jay snarked, sending a wink to the boy as he grabbed Carlos’ hand and began to make his way towards the table laden with food. 

With a nod at Evie and a near silent ‘bye’ from Mal the two were off. That was one of the worst parts about Ben. The fact that he was so likable. He was sweet, kind, caring, every trait a prince ought to be. He was impossible to hate, no matter how hard Evie tried to. And trust me, she tried. Every time she thought she had found something deplorable about the boy he just had to turn around and prove her wrong.

“Evie!” A familiar voice sounded. Evie turned, a smile spreading across her face as she caught sight of Audrey. Well, there was one bad thing about Ben, but she knew that if he hadn’t been spelled he would have been more than cordial in breaking up with Audrey. If it ever happened. “Hey, come over here.”

Evie moves towards the girl, noting the old woman she was stood beside. She seemed uppity, her eyes running over Evie as if she were choosing whether she was worthy or not. She reminded her of her mother, almost. Evie’s mind creased with worry. Was Audrey experiencing the same thing she had?

“Hey,” Audrey laughed as Evie finally closed in. She wrapped the girl in a quick hug. “This is my Grammy—my mother’s mother. Grammy, this is Evie.”

“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Evie said politely, falling into a small curtsy as she reverted back on her mother’s teachings. This woman was royalty, after all.

“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Evie,” The woman responded. Her voice wasn’t particularly kind but certainly wasn’t cold. “From what my granddaughter has told me you’ve been a kind friend to her.”

“She really has, Grammy,” Audrey said before Evie could respond, shooting the girl a look of warning as she did. “Why don’t you go off and mingle with some of the other royals. Evie and I can have some girl talk.”

“Of course, dear,” the woman said, leaning forward to press a kiss to Audrey’s brow. She turned towards Evie. “I hope to meet you again, Evie.”

“Sorry about her,” Audrey apologized once the woman had left. She visibly relaxed. “She’s a little…”

“Intense?” Evie finished.

“That’s one way of putting it.” Audrey’s voice was bitter and cool, as if she had more to say about the old woman but was loathe to do so. “Anyways, enough of that boring stuff. How have you been lately?”

The two talked for a while, only separating when Audrey’s grandmother called her over once again. Evie stood lost for a moment, unsure who to turn to. Mal had Ben. Carlos has Jay. She only had Audrey and the girl was already gone.

Luckily she didn’t have to contemplate what to do for too long, a commotion breaking out between Mal and Audrey’s grandmother. The girl instantly rushed to her friend’s side. Audrey sent her a guilty look, mouthing an ‘I’m sorry’ before Chad butt in and promptly forced everything to shit.

The Core Four met up to break down their plan once more the night before the coronation. They were all somber as they discussed how tomorrow was set to play out. Evie could feel her heart seizing in her chest, refusing to beat normally as she thought of going back to her mother. She glanced at Carlos and saw her own expression reflected on his face. 

“Evie, hey,” Mal spoke once the boys had retreated to their own room. Evie had already tucked herself into bed and was brushing her hair out one last time before falling asleep. Her eyes flit over to her friend. “I’m going to go do that anti-love charm. Just, remember. No matter what, you’re always my friend.”

Evie fell asleep that night with those words flying through her head, the girl only able to properly drift off when she heard Mal enter the room once again. She could hear the girl’s sniffles, as if she had been crying, and her heart seized once again.

The next day was long, stretching out like shadows at twilight until Evie stood behind Mal, watching as her friend clutched at the wand as if it were a lifeline. The girl dared to glance over at Audrey. The betrayed look was almost enough to make her call the whole plan off. Then Mal started talking.

The next ten minutes were a blur, Evie barely able to dissect just what had happened even after it had passed. Maleficent had flown in, all her green rage from the Isle manifesting itself in the magic she had so craved. She had transformed into a dragon, a beast from Auradon’s nightmares, and together the four of them had defeated it. Together. Like always.

It was only once the wand was returned to Fairy Godmother’s hands, the barrier having risen once again, and Mal’s mother-turned-lizard placed securely in the pockets Evie had made sure to sew into Mal’s dress did the girl turn to Ben. Evie froze, the tears already welling in her eyes from the strength and power they had just used multiplying.

“Ben,” Mal’s words were soft but loud enough that they were obviously meant for them to hear, as well. “I love you, I truly do, but I don’t think I can ever love you like you love me.”

“Mal, I—”

“No, let me finish,” Mal cut the king off. She turned, pacing back to where Evie stood and took her hand with all the surety of a woman possessed. “I’ve loved Evie since I first met her, and I would be kidding myself if I continued to deny it.” She turned towards her, and Evie was forced to meet Mal’s eyes. They were just as glossy as her own. “Evie, you mean everything to me, and I’m so sorry it took me this long to realize that. You’re the reason I kept going each day on the Isle and you’re the reason I want to be good here in Auradon. For you. For the promise of you. For us. I don’t know if you can forgive me for—”

“Yes,” Evie interrupted the girl, grinning widely at her before wrapping her in a hug so tight she was almost scared she had crushed Maleficent the Lizard. She pulled away after a moment, wiping the tears from her face as she did. “You’re my happy ending, Mal. I’ve always known that. You always will be.”

Mal barely had a second to regain her bearings before Evie was crashing her lips into hers.


End file.
